Can one household be responsible for claiming ground rent?

moneyistooshorttomention

Bigfradz wrote: »

It was just a hand written letter with a promise of proof if required. Didn't trust it but wasn't sure if this sort of thing can even be done.

It sounds odd to me to promise "proof if required". Why not just enclose the proof in the first place? - if there is such a thing...:cool:

There is a - rather vague - possibility that some property company has bought this right up from someone that didnt bother to enforce it before. I know I was surprised recently to receive an email through from a property company which is actively searching for the chance to buy up this sort of agreement (and would doubtless promptly proceed with treating it as a "licence to print money").

But, in your position, I would be demanding a good bit of proof before I'd think any further as to whether that is what has happened here.

AnotherJoe

Bigfradz wrote: »

It was just a hand written letter with a promise of proof if required. Didn't trust it but wasn't sure if this sort of thing can even be done.

LOL. I expect it is genuine, but it's pathetically amateur and inadequate. You need solid documents before handing over money. Obviously the fact they want ten years shows what the previous occupants of your house thought of this.

And as said if six years is the max they can legally ask, the fact they are asking for further back shows they are clueless and shouldnt be entrusted with this.and the elapsed time also shows what the party actually receiving the monies thinks about it, eg nothing. I wonder if they are receiving anything. If they cared surely they would have done something by now.

I would want as a minimum details of the company actually responsible and then to contact them and have them confirm that the occupants of this house are their entrusted agents.

Mossfarr

When we bought our first house we had no idea there was a ground rent to pay, our solicitor never pointed it out to us. We were in our early 20's and VERY naive, we thought solicitors could be trusted to tell you everything about the property you were buying!!
I was livid when I received an invoice through the post which showed our house was responsible for collecting the ground rent for six properties in the terrace. I was absolutely horrified at the thought of knocking on my new neighbours doors and asking them for money so I marched to the solicitors office and shoved the invoice in his face and said he could take responsibility for it as he had failed to tell us about it. His reply was that we had chance to read the documentation during the buying process so it was nothing to do with him. When I replied that as far as I was concerned that was what I paid him for he simply asked me to leave his office. I reported him to the law society but got no help from them either.
I didn't pay the invoices, I just shoved them through his door and forgot about them.
When we sold the house two years later the unpaid invoices reappeared so we just paid them and moved on.
Taught me a great lesson - never trust a solicitor and read everything yourself.

motherofstudents

We have a neighbour collecting our ground rent each year, it's quite common but obviously you need to verify everything, particularly as they are asking for so many years.

moneyistooshorttomention

Mossfarr wrote: »

When we bought our first house we had no idea there was a ground rent to pay, our solicitor never pointed it out to us. We were in our early 20's and VERY naive, we thought solicitors could be trusted to tell you everything about the property you were buying!!
I was livid when I received an invoice through the post which showed our house was responsible for collecting the ground rent for six properties in the terrace. I was absolutely horrified at the thought of knocking on my new neighbours doors and asking them for money so I marched to the solicitors office and shoved the invoice in his face and said he could take responsibility for it as he had failed to tell us about it. His reply was that we had chance to read the documentation during the buying process so it was nothing to do with him. When I replied that as far as I was concerned that was what I paid him for he simply asked me to leave his office. I reported him to the law society but got no help from them either.
I didn't pay the invoices, I just shoved them through his door and forgot about them.
When we sold the house two years later the unpaid invoices reappeared so we just paid them and moved on.
Taught me a great lesson - never trust a solicitor and read everything yourself.

Can't say I blame you for that reaction. He should have told you indeed.

Whatever sort of solicitor isnt well aware that any buyer (of any age) will expect their property to be an absolute bog-standard deal in all respects (ie freehold/no charges/etc/etc) unless someone somewhere specifically tells them otherwise. Vendors should be upfront about exactly what is what - but surely solicitors know many vendors aren't and that the average buyer will deal with the paperwork side of buying a property by thinking "My solicitor/legal executive/conveyancing firm will tell me anything odd about the place - just in case the vendor hasn't. All I need to know is sign where they tell me to. That's what I'm paying them for - otherwise I might as well do the job myself".

I think most peoples reaction to any comment about "ground rent" if it wasnt mentioned in advance of purchase will be "Huh! Never heard of that sort of set-up. Must be a try-on" and I would certainly be most averse to the idea I was being made to collect other peoples ground rent and my first question would be "Oh that means I don't pay any myself. Now what am I going to be paid for doing your work for you?" and I'd be serious. They'd be told "I estimate it will take x hours. So x hours x my personal hourly rate means I should be paid £y for doing the job" (ie by the person expecting to receive said ground rent). Why would anyone work for nothing?